Two Venezuelan ex-senior cops indicted in U.S. court over drugs

Reuters Staff

1 Min Read

CARACAS (Reuters) - Two former senior officials in the Venezuelan police were indicted on drugs charges in a U.S. court last month, documents seen by Reuters show, the latest case to involve Venezuela, a suspected major smuggling route for South American cocaine.

Former head of intelligence Pedro Martin and the former top anti-drugs investigator Jesus Itriago, both are accused of trafficking cocaine to the United States for years via Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico, according to the court documents.

The whereabouts of both men are unknown, the documents say, which show that the charges were unsealed by the Southern District of Florida at the end of last month.

There was no immediate comment from Venezuela’s government, which rejects Western accusations of complicity in drugs under the governments of President Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez.

Reporting by Diego Ore in Caracas, David Adams in Miami; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky